Brown says Birds plan to make Cousins beat them
PHILADELPHIA >> Linebacker Zach Brown spent the 2017 season teaming up with Kirk Cousins on the Washington Redskins.
The Cousins he hunts Sunday when the Eagles oppose the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium is a lot like the quarterback who registered 18 turnovers in 16 games in that 7-9 season. It was too much damage to offset Cousins’ 27 touchdown passes.
“Cousins, you know, I think every defense is going to want that guy to throw the ball,” Brown said Friday. “To me, that’s probably the weakest part of their offense. I mean they have a good running game. Probably one of the best in the league. Real good receivers. You just want him to pass the ball. You want Kirk Cousins to have the ball in his hands.”
Before you say, great, there goes the Eagles’ game plan, the truth is the Birds spent the entire week talking about how important it was to get after Dalvin Cook, the league’s secondleading rusher and the focal point of the Vikings’ thirdranked run offense. That was another way of saying the Eagles wanted to make Cousins beat them.
Still, Cousins is 5-4 against the Eagles, all but one of those games with the Redskins. This season with the Vikings he’s completed 68.3 percent of his attempts with five TDs and two interceptions. Add two lost fumbles and he has four turnovers in five games.
At Washington, Cousins threw 55 interceptions in 62 games and lost 22 fumbles. You can do the math — 77 turnovers in 62 games.
Add the work with the Vikings and Cousins has 81 giveaways in 67 games.
“You want him to throw the ball,” Brown said. “It’s something I realized at Washington. He’s kind of careless with the ball but at the same time you make the bed you sleep in.”
*** The NFL hasn’t chosen one offensive, defensive or special teams player of the week from the Eagles this season.
The winless Redskins are the only other NFC East team shutout of the accolades.
So insulting is the 0-for15 snub, particularly in the wake of three sacks by Brandon Graham, Eagles All-Pro defensive tackle Fletcher Cox interrupted his teammate’s chat with reporters this week to point out the wrong. Portraying himself as a reporter, Cox didn’t beat around the bush.
Cox: Brandon Graham, how do you feel about being disrespected? You had three sacks and you didn’t get NFC defensive player of the week.
Graham: It’s out of my control. All I can do is just keep going out there and keep winning and hopefully they’ll start to notice.
Cox: But I mean for a man to have a career day, that’s got to put some type of chip on his shoulder going into the next game.
Graham: Oh yeah, I always keep that chip on my shoulder. And I make sure I talk to guys like Fletch. If I’m frustrated, they keep me cool.
Graham dominated the New York Jets from the jump, collecting three sacks, two tackles for loss and five quarterback hits to stoke a 31-6 Eagles victory at Lincoln Financial Field.
The NFC defensive player of the week was rookie Nick Bosa, who registered two sacks of Baker Mayfield, two tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, a forced fumble and a recovery to lead the undefeated San Francisco 49ers to a 31-3 rout of the Cleveland Browns.
Graham’s only fault is he did his damage against the obscure Luke Falk. It is what it is. Graham thanked Cox for setting up one of his sacks. Defensive end Vinny Curry said his sack came thanks to Cox, who may have had a hand in seven of the Eagles’ 10 sacks.
*** The Eagles signed running back-kick returner Boston Scott to the 53-man roster and put running back Corey Clement (shoulder) on injured reserve.
With veteran Darren Sproles sidelined by a quadriceps strain, the Eagles need Scott (5-6, 203) to help in the return game and possibly as a third-down back.
“I don’t know what my role is going to be just yet,” Scott said. “It’s still kind of fresh. However, they want me to contribute, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m just coming in ready to help.”
Scott averaged 24.0 yards on four kickoff returns after being elevated to the 53-man roster the last two weeks of the regular season.
The 2018 sixth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints averaged 18.0 yards on three kickoff returns in the playoffs.
Scott didn’t return punts in a four-year career at Louisiana Tech spent largely as a running back. Still, he’s fielded punts in practices and feels comfortable enough to do it in a game.
Clement just hasn’t been able to stay healthy since the Super Bowl season. He originally was listed as out of action on the injury report.
In addition to Sproles, also out this weekend are Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson (abdomen), cornerbacks Ronald Darby (hamstring) and Avonte Maddox (concussion, neck) and defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan (foot).
*** NOTES >> For all of their early offensive struggles, the Eagles don’t have a three-andout in the first quarter this season. That’s tied for the league lead … Conversely the Eagles have forced three-and-outs on a highly disruptive 29.8 percent of their defensive appearances this season. Only the Bills (36.7 percent) have done better … The Eagles have allowed just 3.2 yards per carry, tied with the Buccaneers for best in the league … Opponents have run the ball against the Eagles on just 28.2 percent (11 of 39) of plays in the red one this season, the lowest percentage in the league. The Vikings have been run on just 29.4 percent in the red zone (10 of 34), the next-lowest figure … Eagles tight end Zach Ertz has 8 receptions on 3rd down this season, trailing only Mark Andrews (15, Ravens) and George Kittle (nine, Niners) among tight ends.